Editing IRC (section)

==Clients==

===Client software===
{{Further|Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients}}
[[File:Ircnetz-Schema.svg|right|thumb|Scheme of an IRC network with [[Client (computing)|normal clients]] (green), [[IRC bot|bots]] (blue) and [[Bouncer (networking)|bouncers]] (orange)]]

Client software exists for various [[operating system]]s or software packages, as well as web-based or inside games. Many different clients are available for the various operating systems, including [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Unix]] and [[Linux]], [[macOS]] and mobile operating systems (such as [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]]). On Windows, [[mIRC]] is one of the most popular clients.<ref>{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Roderick W.|title=The Multi-Boot Configuration Handbook|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OuPtI5fHhBoC|access-date=25 July 2010|series=Handbook Series|date=8 April 2000|publisher=[[Que Publishing]]|location=[[Upper Saddle River, New Jersey]]|isbn=978-0-7897-2283-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780789722836/page/289 289]|chapter=The Internet: Using IRC to Get Help|quote=mIRC is one of the most popular Windows IRC clients.|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780789722836/page/289}}</ref> Some [[Linux]] distributions come with an IRC client preinstalled, such as [[Linux Mint]] which comes with [[HexChat]] preinstalled.

Some programs which are extensible through [[plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]] also serve as platforms for IRC clients. For instance, a client called [[ERC (software)|ERC]], written entirely in [[Emacs Lisp]], is included in v.22.3 of Emacs. Therefore, any platform that can run Emacs can run ERC.

A number of [[web browser]]s have built-in IRC clients, such as:
* [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] used to have a client, but no longer supports IRC
* [[ChatZilla]] add-on for Mozilla [[Firefox]] (for Firefox 56 and earlier; included as a built-in component of [[SeaMonkey]]).
Web-based clients, such as [[Mibbit]] and open source KiwiIRC, can run in most browsers.

Games such as ''[[War§ow]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.warsow.net/wiki/index.php?title=IRC_Module
| title         = Warsow Wiki: IRC Module
| access-date         = 10 April 2011
| archive-url         = https://web.archive.org/web/20110425010535/http://www.warsow.net/wiki/index.php?title=IRC_Module
| archive-date         = 25 April 2011
| url-status         = dead
}}</ref> ''[[Unreal Tournament]]'' (up to [[Unreal Tournament 2004]]),<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=40
| title       = UT2004 Review
| access-date = 10 April 2011
| last        = Guenter
| first       = Daniel
| date        = 21 June 2004
| publisher   = BCCHardware
}}</ref> ''[[Uplink (video game)|Uplink]]'',<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://guide.modlink.net/section11.php
| title       = The Ultimate Uplink Guide
| access-date = 10 April 2011
}}</ref> ''Spring Engine''-based games, [[0 A.D. (video game)|0 A.D.]] and ''ZDaemon'' have included IRC.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = https://doomwiki.org/wiki/ZDaemon#Other_utilities
| title       = ZDaemon – The Doom Wiki: Other utilities
| access-date = 10 April 2011
}}</ref>

[[Ustream]]'s chat interface is IRC with custom authentication<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://ustream-helpers.com/how-to/ircclient
 |title        = How to setup &#91;sic&#93; an IRC client to connect and login &#91;sic&#93; to Ustream
 |access-date  = 27 April 2013
|date         = 29 January 2012
|publisher    = Ustream-Helpers
 |archive-date = 21 March 2013
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130321161543/http://ustream-helpers.com/how-to/ircclient
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref> as well as [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]]'s (formerly Justin.tv).<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.liquidsilver.org/2010/06/ustream-v-justin/
| title       = Ustream vs. Justin.tv
| access-date = 13 July 2011
| date        = 20 June 2010
| publisher   = LiquidSilver
| author      = Mauldor
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title=Twitch IRC
|url=https://help.twitch.tv/customer/portal/articles/1302780-twitch-irc
|website=Twitch Help Center
|access-date=30 October 2017
|date=7 April 2017
|archive-date=12 February 2019
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212150600/https://help.twitch.tv/customer/portal/articles/1302780-twitch-irc
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

===Bots===
{{Main|IRC bot}}
A typical use of bots in IRC is to provide [[Internet Relay Chat services|IRC services]] or specific functionality within a channel such as to host a chat-based game or provide notifications of external events. However, some IRC bots are used to launch malicious attacks such as denial of service, spamming, or exploitation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Canavan|first1=John|title=The Evolution of Malicious IRC Bots|url=http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/reference/the.evolution.of.malicious.irc.bots.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315074124/http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/reference/the.evolution.of.malicious.irc.bots.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 March 2006|website=[[Broadcom#Symantec enterprise security|Symantec]]|publisher=Symantec Security Response}}</ref>

===Bouncer===
{{Main|BNC (software)}}
A program that runs as a [[daemon (computer software)|daemon]] on a [[Server (computing)|server]] and functions as a persistent [[proxy server|proxy]] is known as a BNC or bouncer. The purpose is to maintain a connection to an IRC server, acting as a relay between the server and client, or simply to act as a proxy.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} Should the client lose network connectivity, the BNC may stay connected and archive all traffic for later delivery, allowing the user to resume their IRC session without disrupting their connection to the server.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.psybnc.at/readme.txt
| title       = psyBNC Readme
| access-date  = 10 April 2011
| publisher   = psybnc.at
}}</ref>

Furthermore, as a way of obtaining a bouncer-like effect, an IRC client (typically [[text-based]], for example [[Irssi]]) may be run on an always-on server to which the user connects via [[secure shell|ssh]]. This also allows devices that only have ssh functionality, but no actual IRC client installed themselves, to connect to the IRC, and it allows sharing of IRC sessions.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://chriscarey.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/irc-with-irssi-proxy-screen/
| title       = IRC with irssi-proxy + screen
| access-date  = 10 April 2011
| last        = Carey
| first       = Chris
| date        = 18 July 2009
| publisher   = chriscarey.com
}}</ref>

To keep the IRC client from quitting when the ssh connection closes, the client can be run inside a [[terminal multiplexer]] such as [[GNU Screen]] or [[tmux]], thus staying connected to the IRC network(s) constantly and able to log conversation in channels that the user is interested in, or to maintain a channel's presence on the network. Modelled after this setup, in 2004 an IRC client following the [[client–server model|client–server]], called [[Smuxi]], was launched.<ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.smuxi.org/blog/show/Detachable_Frontend_Core_Rewrite__UML__Windows_Port_kicking_Glade
| title       = Detachable Frontend (Core Rewrite) / UML / Windows Port (kicking Glade)
| access-date  = 25 July 2010
| date        = 25 December 2004
| publisher   = smuxi.org
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url         = http://www.smuxi.org/page/About
| title       = About Smuxi
| access-date  = 10 April 2011
| publisher   = smuxi.org
}}</ref>